The Austin/Travis County Reentry Roundtable hosted their Faith-based Leaders Convening on April 28, 2022. The event brought together a diverse group of faith leaders from our community for a day of learning, networking, and visioning. The goals of the event were as follows: Highlight the impact of faith communities on individuals leaving jail and prison; Explore what area faith communities are already doing to support those in reentry; Help make connections between faith leaders to coordinate efforts; Work together to develop direct actions faith communities can take to support those in reentry.
Action Discussions
Attendees split themselves into four groups for action discussions based on the themes listed on the dropdown menu below. Every participant was encouraged to share and generate actions for their faith communities, and others, to continue this work.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the Reentry Roundtable workgroup for dedicating many hours to co-designing this event, conducting event outreach, and facilitating action discussions. The Faith-based Convening workgroup members are:
- Dale Brown
- Pamela Bryant
- Mia Greer
- Chris Haskins
- Tim Hayden
- Robert Martinez
- Charles Moody
- Melissa Shearer
- Donald Tracy
Thank you to Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and Sunrise Community Church and Navigation Center for sharing about their faith communities’ deep commitment to supporting individuals in reentry from jail or prison.
Thank you to Mia Greer, Pamela Bryant, and Sean O’Brien for their testimonials on their personal experiences in navigating reentry and the role that faith played in their journeys.
Thank you to the Rock ATX and Community Coalition for Health for sharing their space and for their teamwork to make this event a success.